July 12, 2023 • 5 mins
Michael Usher joins Jonesy & Amanda ahead of the 7NEWS Spotlight investigation into Charlie Teo.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Jersey and Amanda jam Nation.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Well, it's been all over the news. Dr Charlie Teo,
the famous neurosurgeon who performs higherst brain surgeries, has been
found guilty of unsatisfactory professional conduct. Well to talk us
through what that means is the host of Channel seven
Spotlight investigation called the Charlie Teo affair, Michael Asher, Hi, Michael, Hello.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Michael, good morning. How are you?
Speaker 2 (00:24):
They sing very well. So this misconduct was found in
two cases in particular, what were they So?
Speaker 1 (00:31):
The two cases were the two people who went under
the risky surgery with doctor Charlie Teo. They later died
after the surgery. And the fourth cases were one was
an allegation of excessive charging for the actual operation, one
was Charlie ben rude to one of the patient's daughters
and using offensive language. And the other two were in
(00:55):
both cases did he take too many risks outweighing the
balance of the health of the patient and the medical
investigation into hunderstand that he was guilty on all four
of those charges. So misconduct charges found to be true
against Charlie and a condition that already existed with his
license anyway, which was he needs approval by a senior eurosurgeon.
(01:16):
To get any surgery underway, they have to sign him
off essentially to say that he can do surgery. In
that point, he got a small win because that person
now only needs fifteen years experience, not twenty is experience.
But it's by the bye. He's got handcuffs on him.
And the bottom line is for all of the patients
that he says that he has done amazing things over
the years, eleven thousand brain procedures, hundreds of patients every year,
(01:40):
he couldn't operate if he wanted to anyway. He's still
a registered surgeon. He can still do what he does,
but there's not a hospital in Australia that'll touch him
now because of risk and liability and bad reputation. And
he's got himself in a real pickle. So he's not
been struck off. He hasn't lost his license. He can
still be a surgeon. He's got these charges now sound
(02:02):
true against him, and he literally can't go and do
what he.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Says he's best at, and what he says is best
at is those the cutting edge surgeries that no one
else will touch. There was one case I know where
he told the patient's family that he could remove the
tumor with five percent risk of death. But that patient
never woke up. So people get bad outcomes that they're
really not expecting. Whether they expect, whether they should expect
(02:26):
different outcomes is a different story. But he made promises.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
Well and in that case too. Amount of two other
neurosurgeons gave evidenced string this inquiry and said, well, he
said five percent. In our expertise, we'd say he should
have said sixty percent. But as Charlie's an interesting character,
I've spent about six months within now. We've traveled to
India and Spain. He's adored in those parts of the World's.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Very charismatic, isn't he extremely charismatic?
Speaker 1 (02:52):
But look, Charlie's got this amazing ego on him, and
I think sometimes maybe you have to when you're a
maverick in his field, which he's me. I said to
a man now interview which will air on Sunday night,
I said, look, you know, as we sit here, Charlie,
I think that's the longest I've gone with that asking.
Then you want to question ever, because he goes on
and on on about everything. But I said, are you
in fact your own worst end. I mean, he loves
(03:15):
bucking against the system. He hates the old school of neurosurgeons,
he fights the hospitals. But what he does do passionately,
and I don't think anyone can deny this, and it's
true when you spend a lot of time with him.
He is just so desperately passionate about the brain, fighting
brain cancer and those patients that he has saved, which
outweigh in this case. We're talking about two patients that
(03:37):
have led to the charges against him. There were two
more two years ago, but that's about it over his
career that have gone to a tribunal at least. And look,
I've met people. Now. There's one mum in our story.
At least. She's thirty four, she's got a four year
old daughter. She's on her fifth brain surgery with Charlie too.
She only trusts Chief Charlie. She's had to go to
(03:59):
Spain to get the treatment she needs to stay alive.
She's a gorgeous Australian mum, a young teacher. And as
she said, look forget about his ego, forget about whether
you like all those Charlie teo. I'm here today because
of Charlie Teo. I'm here because a couple of years
ago you said, look in between the brain surgeries, which
(04:20):
we're going to have to do again to keep this
insidious brain tumor out of your brain, go and have
your baby now live. I'll keep you alive. And she says,
it's my choice, it's my life, it's my brain. I
choose Charlie Teo. But I've been kicked out of Australia
because no hospital will let him do what he does best.
And he finds that deeply, deeply troubling. He's upset by that.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
And that's you know, when you're when you're a maverick
in any business, that's what happens. You know you've got
you got to roll the dice. And as you only
know too well, Michael, you're a maverick.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
Don't touch a scalpel would be.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Don't let me nearest Galpy people.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
It's just TV. It's not brain surgery.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
This is true.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
The Charlie Teer affair is this Sunday or Channel seventh
Spotlight eight thirty. You'll catch that with our mate, Michael. Asha.
It's always great to talk to you, Mush.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
It's been too long and lovely to talk to you both, James,
Thanks Michael,
Jersey and Amanda jam Nation.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Well, it's been all over the news. Dr Charlie Teo,
the famous neurosurgeon who performs higherst brain surgeries, has been
found guilty of unsatisfactory professional conduct. Well to talk us
through what that means is the host of Channel seven
Spotlight investigation called the Charlie Teo affair, Michael Asher, Hi, Michael, Hello.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Michael, good morning. How are you?
Speaker 2 (00:24):
They sing very well. So this misconduct was found in
two cases in particular, what were they So?
Speaker 1 (00:31):
The two cases were the two people who went under
the risky surgery with doctor Charlie Teo. They later died
after the surgery. And the fourth cases were one was
an allegation of excessive charging for the actual operation, one
was Charlie ben rude to one of the patient's daughters
and using offensive language. And the other two were in
(00:55):
both cases did he take too many risks outweighing the
balance of the health of the patient and the medical
investigation into hunderstand that he was guilty on all four
of those charges. So misconduct charges found to be true
against Charlie and a condition that already existed with his
license anyway, which was he needs approval by a senior eurosurgeon.
(01:16):
To get any surgery underway, they have to sign him
off essentially to say that he can do surgery. In
that point, he got a small win because that person
now only needs fifteen years experience, not twenty is experience.
But it's by the bye. He's got handcuffs on him.
And the bottom line is for all of the patients
that he says that he has done amazing things over
the years, eleven thousand brain procedures, hundreds of patients every year,
(01:40):
he couldn't operate if he wanted to anyway. He's still
a registered surgeon. He can still do what he does,
but there's not a hospital in Australia that'll touch him
now because of risk and liability and bad reputation. And
he's got himself in a real pickle. So he's not
been struck off. He hasn't lost his license. He can
still be a surgeon. He's got these charges now sound
(02:02):
true against him, and he literally can't go and do
what he.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Says he's best at, and what he says is best
at is those the cutting edge surgeries that no one
else will touch. There was one case I know where
he told the patient's family that he could remove the
tumor with five percent risk of death. But that patient
never woke up. So people get bad outcomes that they're
really not expecting. Whether they expect, whether they should expect
(02:26):
different outcomes is a different story. But he made promises.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
Well and in that case too. Amount of two other
neurosurgeons gave evidenced string this inquiry and said, well, he
said five percent. In our expertise, we'd say he should
have said sixty percent. But as Charlie's an interesting character,
I've spent about six months within now. We've traveled to
India and Spain. He's adored in those parts of the World's.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Very charismatic, isn't he extremely charismatic?
Speaker 1 (02:52):
But look, Charlie's got this amazing ego on him, and
I think sometimes maybe you have to when you're a
maverick in his field, which he's me. I said to
a man now interview which will air on Sunday night,
I said, look, you know, as we sit here, Charlie,
I think that's the longest I've gone with that asking.
Then you want to question ever, because he goes on
and on on about everything. But I said, are you
in fact your own worst end. I mean, he loves
(03:15):
bucking against the system. He hates the old school of neurosurgeons,
he fights the hospitals. But what he does do passionately,
and I don't think anyone can deny this, and it's
true when you spend a lot of time with him.
He is just so desperately passionate about the brain, fighting
brain cancer and those patients that he has saved, which
outweigh in this case. We're talking about two patients that
(03:37):
have led to the charges against him. There were two
more two years ago, but that's about it over his
career that have gone to a tribunal at least. And look,
I've met people. Now. There's one mum in our story.
At least. She's thirty four, she's got a four year
old daughter. She's on her fifth brain surgery with Charlie too.
She only trusts Chief Charlie. She's had to go to
(03:59):
Spain to get the treatment she needs to stay alive.
She's a gorgeous Australian mum, a young teacher. And as
she said, look forget about his ego, forget about whether
you like all those Charlie teo. I'm here today because
of Charlie Teo. I'm here because a couple of years
ago you said, look in between the brain surgeries, which
(04:20):
we're going to have to do again to keep this
insidious brain tumor out of your brain, go and have
your baby now live. I'll keep you alive. And she says,
it's my choice, it's my life, it's my brain. I
choose Charlie Teo. But I've been kicked out of Australia
because no hospital will let him do what he does best.
And he finds that deeply, deeply troubling. He's upset by that.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
And that's you know, when you're when you're a maverick
in any business, that's what happens. You know you've got
you got to roll the dice. And as you only
know too well, Michael, you're a maverick.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
Don't touch a scalpel would be.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Don't let me nearest Galpy people.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
It's just TV. It's not brain surgery.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
This is true.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
The Charlie Teer affair is this Sunday or Channel seventh
Spotlight eight thirty. You'll catch that with our mate, Michael. Asha.
It's always great to talk to you, Mush.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
It's been too long and lovely to talk to you both, James,
Thanks Michael,
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